John Butler Trio - Live in St. Gallen

By a huge margin my favourite album of all time. The guy behind all this, John Butler, has released a number of studio albums (Discography) however my favourite is a live album recorded in Switzerland at an open air festival a few years back.

He was not aware at the time he was being recorded - the sheer brilliance of his guitar playing..

I like all songs on this but as an introduction:

What You Want (which is my favourite song of all time)
Oceans
Betterman

The Waifs - Up All Night

Bluesy. Their song 'London Still' always reminds me of back home in Australia and all the family and friends I miss very much.

Pick: London Still

Cody Chesnutt - The Headphone Masterpiece

This guy is seriously narcissistic but he can crank a tune out.

Pick: Look Good In Leather

Kram - Mix Tape

One of the most talented guys in music I think. Ticks all my boxes...

Picks:

Ridin High
Get To It

Neil Young - Greatest Hits

This guy has stood the test of time. I won't say everything he has done is great but I will say when he hits the mark - genius.

Picks:

Needle and the Damage Done
Comes A Time
Harvest Moon

Garbage - Absolute Garbage

Alternative electronic stuff - I like it.

Picks:

Special

Milk

Dave Graney 'n' The Coral Snakes - Night of the Wolverine

No one is like Dave Graney. 'Night of the Wolverine' is both awesome and unique.

Picks:

Night of the Wolverine Part 1

Night of the Wolverine Part 2

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The Boatman's Call

I feel indifferent to most of his stuff but this album he got it right, for me at least.

 

 Pick: Into My Arms

Belly - Star

From my late teens - for whatever reason this one has stuck in the playlist. I like it.

Pick: Feed The Tree

George - Polyserena

The female lead's voice is incredible - great album.

Picks:

Release

Special Ones

Bastard Son

Blind Melon - Self Titled

Love this album - blindly uplifting.

Pick: No Rain

Mazzy Star - So Tonight That I Might See

Different to most of the stuff I like, almost wispey singing.

Pick: Fade Into You

Jet - Get Born

This Australian band's best album in my view. Apple used one of their songs (Are You Gonna Be My Girl) when iPod took off with the silohette adverts.

Picks:

Are You Gonna Be My Girl

Get What You Need

John Legend - Get Lifted

Cool music - the only 'soul' album I listen to semi-regularly.

Picks:

Ordinary People

Let's Get Lifted

Mark of Cain - Ill At Ease

Australian band produced by Rollins - that should tell you want you need to know. About as heavy as I can go these days. I prefer the lightest offering on the album 'L.M.A.'

Picks:

L.M.A

Contender

Remember Me

Tracy Chapman - Self Titled

'Fast Car' - the voice and lyric.. blew me away when I first heard it aged 10 or 11. Still gets to me.

Picks:

Fast Car

Talkin' Bout A Revolution

Led Zepplin - Remasters

In most peoples collections for a good reason. Page & Plant at their best.

Picks:

Ramble On

Dazed and Confused

Achilles Last Stand

Moby - Go

'Porcelain' - not much more to say..

Picks:

Porcleain

We Are All Made Of Stars

Crowded House - Recurring Dream

Tim Finn knows how to write a catchy tune. Non offensive, easy, great.

Picks:

When You Come

Pineapple Head

The Doors - The Very Best of The Doors

Don't listen to them as much as I used to - Morrison on fire was incredible.

Picks:

LA Woman

Riders On The Storm

The End

Jack Johnson - Brushfire Fairytales

His first album - his best in my view.

Pick:

Flake

Green Day - Dookie

The band's first real commercial album (2 previous underground records). The base line in Longview has to be one of the best ever written.

Picks:

Longview

When I Come Around

Alicia Keys - The Diary Of Alicia Keys

Always had a thing for great female voices. Alicia Keys is fantastic.

Pick: If I Ain't Got You

You Am I - Sound As Ever

Always surprised they didn't end up bigger than they did. Great late 90's rock album.

Picks:

Adam's Ribs
Berlin Chair

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

For the one song 'Wish You Were Here'. The remaining band members writing it in sympathy for Syd. Great raw song. Apparently he appeared out of nowhere barely recognisable during the recording of 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' also about him.

Pick: Wish You Were Here

Rodriguez - Cold Fact

Late 60's - of its time. Quite racey lyrics for its time I would gather. He went into obscurity, found almost four decades later as a building site foreman. Incredible.  Dylanesk..

Pick: Crucify Your Mind

Tool - Undertow

At the harder end of my listening scale. Confronting stuff.

Pick: 'Sober' = genius

Xavier Rudd - Food In The Belly

Very much folksy stuff - great lyrics.

Pick: Let Me Be

U2 - 18

U2 - their new stuff doesn't float my boat. Joshua Tree/Rattle and Hum - brilliant. This is a collection of their better (subjective) stuff.

Picks:

With or Without You
One
Pride (In the Name of Love)

The Superjesus - Sumo

A bit of Indie rock here - I like it.

Pick: Down Again

Pearl Jam - Ten

Debut album from Pearl Jam. Often regarded as a more commerical version of Nirvana I think this underplays them. Lots of good old school late 90's rock here.

Picks:

Black
Even Flow

Rage Against The Machine - Evil Empire

Not usually into this heavier stuff but the guitar is incredible.

Pick: Bulls on Parade

Porno for Pyros - Self Titled

Comprised of the remnants of Janes Addition this is a great album.

Pick: Pets

Counting Crows - August & Everything After

Forget 'Mr. Jones' the headline track - the rest is much better. 'Round Here' is one of those arresting songs; about the lead's girlfriend from memory.

Pick: Round Here

The Cure - Greatest Hits

Must include this. My introduction to the cure was as a young kid; the video clip was of the spiders in Lullaby - freaked me out at such a young age.. :) Anyway great tunes.

Picks:

Close to Me
Lullaby
Friday I'm In Love

The Cranberries - No Need to Argue

Perhaps a theme in my listings below but this isn't feelgood stuff - regardless it is quite outstanding in my view.

Pick: Ode to my Family

Soundgarden - A-Sides

Takes me straight back to my teens. Of it's time but every bit as good as Nirvana\Pearl Jam\Mudhoney etc.

Pick (too many but): Burden In My Hand

Underground Lovers - Dream It Down

Pretty cruisey stuff here..

Pick: Losin' It

Turin Brakes - The Optimist

Despite the album name the band isn't particularly optimistic however they make great music.

'Feeling Oblivion' is my pick.

Jose Gonzalez - Veneer

Talented guy, easy listening stuff. One of his songs was used in a Sony Bravia advert with the bouncing balls.

Heartbeats is my pick but all good.

Timo Mass - Loud

Good during a massive night out..

'To Get Down' is just one of those songs..

Hunters & Collectors - Under One Roof

A band long since disbanded. This a recording of a live performance. Australian stuff..

Pick: Throw Your Arms Around Me

Radiohead - The Best Of

Radiohead are incredible. Their album OK Computer will probably be seen as one of the greatest ever as the years roll on... I feel that to offer up the Best Of compilation does not do them justice but as an introduction to a great British band it works well.

Personal Picks:

There There
High and Dry
Paranoid Android

Nirvana - MTV Unplugged in New York

As a young fella I saw them before they were mega famous in my hometown in Australia. Generally not uplifting stuff but still brilliant.



Their cover of a David Bowie song 'The Man Who Sold the World' is my pick but all good. Nevermind is a close second in Nirvana stakes for me.

Massive Attack - Collected

Different to most stuff I like but brilliant nonetheless.

A good introduction is:

Unfinished Sympathy
Teardrop

David Gray - White Ladder

Love this album - more than anything he released before or after. After hearing the song 'White Ladder' I got interested and whilst great other songs eclipse the headline track.

Picks:

'Babylon' in particular gets me into a good mood.
'Sail Away' is beautiful.

Badly Drawn Boy - The Hour of Bewilderbeast

Over a decade ago I heard the song 'The Shining' and immediately bought this album. Some great tracks on this..

Not sure if he ever matched this album with subsequent releases.

Bob Marley - Legend

Legend.. indeed.

Personal Pick: Jamming

The Verve - Urban Hymns

Needs no introduction - a moment in time, an album of genius.

If I was forced to choose: Lucky Man

Spiderbait - Greatest Hits

Despite the odd sounding name - a great band, fullstop. Lots of albums released (Discography) but for a quick introduction - the greatest hits makes it easy.

All good but as an introduction:

Tonite
Four on the Floor
Shazam